“Accountable Care Organization” (ACO) was a popular buzz word at HIMSS 2011, which is concluding right now in Orlando, FL. What is an ACO?
An ACO is a network of doctors and hospitals that shares responsibility for providing care to patients. Under the new law, ACOs would agree to manage all of the health care needs of a minimum of 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries for at least three years.
The ACO initiative is scheduled to launch in January 2012, but the race to form ACOs has already begun.
– Source
John White, Director of the Healthcare Practice at IT consulting firm, Perficient, Inc., was interviewed by our healthcare marketing manager, Melody Smith Jones at HIMSS this week (video below).
John discusses three critical trends in Accountable Care Organizations rising as the next generation of healthcare services.
- Meaningful Use
- Bringing all of the people within the healthcare system together and making them accountable, including:
– physicians
– health systems
– care providers
– consumers - Platforms emerging that ask:
– How do we connect and share?
– How do we enable and promote accountability?
– How do we create a smart healthcare system?
John makes an important point that consumers are also being encouraged to become more accountable. We are all consumers, and we are responsible to some degree for our own quality of care where possible, including evaluating costs and comparing providers, as well as managing our own health.
John concludes that enablement is possible. Watch the video below. What do you think? What did you notice at HIMSS 2011 about Accountable Care?
Learn More:
From Our Blog: Accountable Care Organizations: Will we be reading in 2011 “Community ACOs Partner with Large Carrier”? by Christel Kellogg
